Custom Tennis Ball Boxes

Measuring for a Snug Fit

Tennis and padel balls are similar in size, but felt thickness and manufacturing differences mean it is worth measuring your own. Measure the diameter of a ball across the felt, then multiply by the number of balls in the row and add a small allowance so the last ball slides in without squashing. For a can, measure its height including the lid and its diameter at the widest point.

A pack that is too loose lets balls rattle, which feels cheap. A pack that is too tight compresses the felt and makes the balls hard to remove. A little clearance, a few millimetres overall, gives the best result. If you are unsure, send us a sample ball or can and we will size the pack from it.

For tubes, decide how the balls go in and come out. A tube with a cap at one end is the simplest and lets customers tip balls into a hand. A cap at both ends makes filling easier on a packing line and lets the tube be reused as a container for loose balls on court. Our guide to measuring a product for a box covers round items in a tube.

Print Ideas That Suit the Court

Racket sports packaging tends to be bright and clean. Optic yellow balls look striking against white, black, navy or a strong brand colour, and a window that shows the ball colour lets the product do some of the work. Simple graphics such as court lines, ball seams or a bold logo read quickly from across a shop.

Use the panels for practical information too: ball type, intended surface, the number of balls and the level of player they suit. Clubs can add their crest and website, and tournaments can print the event name and sponsors on a limited run of tubes.

Matt lamination gives a modern, sporty finish, while gloss makes colours pop under shop lighting. Foil on a tube lid or a club crest adds a touch of prestige to gift and member packs. Soft-touch, gloss and foil are compared in the print and finish options guide.

Clubs, Coaches and Tournaments

Not every order comes from a ball manufacturer. Tennis and padel clubs order branded tubes to sell in the clubhouse or to give new members. Coaches order boxes of practice balls with their academy logo to hand out at the start of a course. Tournament organisers order printed tubes for player packs and sponsor gifts.

For these customers, the box often holds balls bought in from a supplier, so the size has to match the brand of ball being used. Let us know the ball or can you plan to pack and we will make sure the box fits.

Corporate events use racket sports packaging as well. A company padel day or charity tennis tournament can give every participant a branded tube of balls as a memento that will actually be used. Footballs for a club's junior section are boxed on the custom football boxes with windows page.

Board, Strength and Shelf Life

Folding cartons are made from 350 to 400 gsm board, which is stiff enough for three or four balls and light to ship. Card tubes use thicker wound board that resists crushing and survives being thrown into a kit bag. Bulk cartons for coaches use corrugated board.

If balls will be stored for a while in a clubhouse or a garage, a laminated finish protects the print from damp and scuffs. Tubes with tight-fitting caps keep the balls clean and help the pack last as a reusable container.

Think about where the packs will be displayed. Tubes look good standing upright in a counter box or lying in a basket, while cartons with hang tabs suit peg walls in sports shops. If a retailer has told you how they will display your product, design the pack around that rather than adapting it afterwards.

For mail order, a tube travels well on its own with a label applied directly, while cartons are best sent inside a small mailer to keep the print clean and the corners sharp. Board grades for a tube that posts alone are compared in the board and card types guide.

Decide Loose Balls or Sealed Cans First

Tennis balls are packed one of two ways and the pack is different for each. Loose pressureless balls go straight into a card tube or carton and need a snug fit so they do not rattle; pressurised balls stay in their sealed can and the pack is a printed sleeve or a carton sized to the can, including its ring-pull lid. Measure the ball or the can at its widest point, decide three or four per pack, and say whether it hangs on a peg, stands on a shelf or ships by post.

Tell us which you are packing, how many per pack, the style and the print, and a custom quote reaches you within one working day with minimums quoted per job. The free design proof comes first; production starts on approval and takes 4 to 7 working days, and packs go out on free tracked courier delivery to UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days. Packs that arrive misprinted or damaged are reprinted or refunded if reported within 10 days. Clubs that also sell a presentation ball for awards use the rigid sports boxes for awards and keepsakes.